The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD, a liver transplant, and a left ankle condition. The cases are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's in-service stressors, his liver transplant cause, and the relationship between his left ankle condition and any service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new evidence has been submitted raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims for service connection. However, additional development is needed to confirm the Veteran's in-service stressor, determine the cause of his liver transplant, and assess whether his left ankle condition is aggravated by any service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Liver Condition, Left Ankle Condition
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2021
- Citation
- 21074676
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21074676.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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